Tswalu Kalahari

premier Camp
| Southern Kalahari, South Africa

As the largest private game reserve in South Africa, reaching 260,000 acres, Tswalu is characterized by vast landscapes and an unrivaled exclusivity. This luxurious nature retreat offers unmatched flexibility, catering the experience to each guest, and a unique diversity of wildlife not commonly seen elsewhere. Tswalu is easily accessible from major hubs of South Africa and offers myriad activities, from wildlife drives to horseback riding and nature walks.

Our Expert Says

I have been traveling to Africa now for almost 30 years so it takes a lot to impress me, but Tswalu blew me away. The wildlife viewing was superb, many animals you don’t see in other places like black-maned lion, sable, black and white rhino and close-up meerkat encounters. The horseback riding here was the best I have ever done bringing us miraculously close to animals that are normally skittish. The food and accommodations are superb and their guides outstanding. This is a great example of conservation.

–
Wendy Klausner

The Camp

Location: Southern Kalahari, South Africa
Number of Suites: 9

Tswalu’s main lodge, The Motse, is comprised of merely six "legaes," or suites, and three family suites, each accommodating up to four guests. Nestled at the foot of the Korannaberg Mountains and overlooking a vast grassland, the lodge is built of local stone, red clay and Kalahari thatch, evoking a distinct local feel and barefoot luxury. Every suite has a generously-sized bedroom and bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, an open fireplace, a private sun deck overlooking a waterhole, and a separate dressing and study area. The main house has a lounge and dining area with a mezzanine library, museum of local artifacts, heated outdoor swimming pool, wine cellar, spa and gym. Modern comforts such as wireless Internet and satellite television are available. Tswalu also has a five-bedroom lodge called Tarkuni that sleeps up to 10 guests.

Wildlife Viewing & Activities

Tswalu is a unique wildlife viewing area, with about 80 mammal species and over 240 species of birds. There are resident black-maned Kalahari lions, cheetah on the open savanna, a noteworthy population of desert black rhino, white rhino, and rare antelopes and plains wildlife such as roan, sable, tsessebe and Hartmann’s mountain zebra. Other Kalahari species include gemsbok, springbok, eland, and red hartebeest. Brown hyena can sometimes be seen. Aardvark and aardwolf are great sightings, and possibly one of the most enjoyable encounters is seeing the semi-habituated meerkats. In addition to wildlife drives and nature walks, horseback riding is available to all levels on the reserve in both western and English saddle, and all equipment is provided for you. The stunning Malori sleepout deck comprises a king sized bed on a platform in the middle of the quiet desert, covered by a thatched canopy but open to the desert smells and sounds – it is the ultimate nature experience during your stay.

The Southern Kalahari has varying concentrations and species of wildlife, and the below chart helps to illustrate major wildlife sightings often experienced in the area. Some unique sub-species you may encounter are Hartmann’s mountain zebra, brown hyena, roan antelope, red hartebeest, and a number of other mammals, like aardvark, aardwolf, pangolin and meerkats, a variety of birds and reptiles.

Conservation

Recipients of the World Wildlife Fund Lonmin Award for environmental conservation, Nicky and Strilli Oppenheimer, owners of Tswalu, are conservation champions in South Africa. The Oppenheimer’s mission has always been “to restore the Kalahari to itself.” Upon taking over the property, hunting was stopped, man-made structures were removed, land was added to the reserve and regenerated, and indigenous wildlife was able to return. The Tswalu Foundation, since 2008, has supported research in species and ecology of the Kalahari system, as well as granting funds for social and community projects. There is a primary healthcare clinic and crèche at Tswalu to provide health care and educational services in this isolated area. Special programs at the clinic address HIV/AIDS and proper nutrition, and it’s open not only to staff but also to people from surrounding areas. There is both a school for children and an adult literacy program, and the literacy rate has increased under this program by over 58% in the last decade.

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Since 2003, the world's leading environmental conservation organization has partnered with Natural Habitat
Adventures because of our long-standing commitment to conservation and the high quality of our adventures.
Natural Habitat Adventures is a proud supporter of World Wildlife Fund. Natural Habitat Adventures has donated
more than $2 million to World Wildlife Fund and will continue to give 1% of gross sales plus $100,000 annually
through 2018 in support of WWF’s mission.